India hopes to resolve China issue before May 9

India is hopeful of a resolution to the border tiff with China before external affairs minister Salman Khurshid’s visit to that country on May 9, senior government sources said on Monday.

Sources said the next flag meeting will take place only after the ongoing diplomatic efforts at the bureaucratic level arrive at an agreement. “It cannot be resolved through flag meetings but we do not think it requires intervention at the political level. Diplomatic efforts are going well and a resolution can be expected,” a senior government functionary said.

Top government sources also admitted that the proposal by the army to make a “counter-move” - reciprocating the Chinese gesture by pitching tent in another location where India can hold a strategic position – has been shot down. Army had identified three locations where it could do it. “Such plans are necessary, but we cannot go overboard,” the government functionary said. “We admit that there are differing perceptions about the LAC. There are available bilateral mechanism and protocol to deal with them”, said an official.

All-party meet on China

The opposition sought an all-party meeting to be chaired by the Prime Minister to discuss Chinese intrusion. In the meeting, which may be called on Wednesday, the opposition may also try to corner the government on the Sarabjit Singh issue, the JPC report.

5 Chinese tents near faceoff site

HT Correspondent, New Delhi: Intruding Chinese soldiers have pitched up five tents 19 km inside the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control in the Ladakh sector, army sources said on Monday. These tents have been put up 500 metres east of the location where Indian and Chinese soldiers have been locked in an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation since April 15.

Indian troops are currently camped barely 200 metres away from the Chinese.